Rifle Drills

Introduction

This chapter contains rifle exercises that are commonly used in parades. As far as possible, they are laid out in the order of priority.

All rifle exercises are first taught by numbers and by judging the regulation pause between movements.

Good rifle drill is a combination of the following:

Sharp, decisive handling of the following.
No fidgeting between movements.
Keeping the upper arm and elbow close to the body throughout.
Control of the body.

When the rifle is described as being vertical, it is the barrel, not the butt that is vertical.

Left side view of M16 Rifle

Right side view of M16 Rifle

Attention and Stand At Ease

SEDI – A (Attention)

Drill movement:

At the command, pivot the rifle to the heel of the butt to vertical position with the flash suppressor touching the forearm. Right hand still maintaining a V-grip on the rifle.
At the same time, the left knee should be raised simultaneously with the movement of the rifle with the toes pointing downwards.
Then drive the left heel to strike the ground, just beside the right heel.
The left arm remains straight as in basic attention position.
Only the toe of the butt is touching the right boot with magazine facing square to the front.

Common faults:

Rifle not vertical – i.e. muzzle pointing forward or to left or right.
Butt not in line with the seam of the toecap of the boot.
Fingers not together and curling round the front of the rifle or curled under the front sight assembly.

SENANG DI – RI (Stand At Ease)

Drill movement:

At the command, keeping the arm straight, use the right hand push the rifle forward by pivoting it on the butt. Right hand still maintaining a V-grip on the rifle. The toe of the rifle should be just beside your small toe.
The left knee should be raised simultaneously with the movement of the rifle.
Then drive the left heel to strike the ground, shoulder-width apart from the right heel.
The left arm remains straight as in basic attention position.

Common faults:

Moving the toe of the butt.
Lack of co-ordination between arm and leg.
Curling the fingers round the front of the rifle.

Sedia (side view)

Senang Diri (side view)

The Shoulder and Open Arms

RUSOK SENJA – TA (Shoulder Arms)

Drill movement:

At the timing “1”, flick the rifle vertically up by using only the right hand wrist.
Then simultaneously left arm is at right angles with the left hand seizing the hand guard with a full handgrip and the right hand seizing the pistol grip.
At the second timing of “1”, pull the rifle back and left arm to the position of attention by the shortest route so that the thumb is touching the leg behind the seam of the trousers cut down both arms to the side, as in basic attention position.
The rifle should naturally tilt forward with the foresight touching the right shoulder.

Common faults:

Not releasing the rifle soon enough for both hands to seize it at the same time.
Lifting the rifle instead of flipping.
Moving the right shoulder backwards.
Butt too far forward.
Not keeping the left elbow close to the body when pulling it to the side.
Pulling the rifle butt back too far or not far enough.

Timing:

1 – CHECK – 1

Rusok Senjata (front view)

Rusok Senjata (side view)

2. TURUN SENJA – TA (Order Arms) [From the shoulder]

Drill movement:

At the timing “1”, push the rifle to vertical position using the right hand by pivoting on the foresight. The left hand should reach across to do a full-hand grip on the barrel.
At the second timing of “1”, bring down the rifle to a position where the toe of the rifle is just beside the right small toe using the left hand. The right hand then grabs the muzzle using the V-grip.
At the last timing of “1”, cut both hands to the side with the thumbs by the seam lines to the basic attention position. Pivot the rifle backwards to the heel of the butt with the magazine facing square to the front. Right hand gripping the rifle with a V-handgrip.

Common faults:

Looking down at the rifle when executing the drill.
Not gripping the barrel with the left thumb behind it.
Not controlling the rifle with the left hand.
Not keeping the shoulders facing the front.
Exaggerating the movement of the left hand.
Banging the butt on the ground.

Timing:

1 – CHECK – 1 – CHECK – 1

Turun Senjata (side view)

Present Arms

HORMAT SENJA – TA (Present arms)

Drill movement:

At the timing of “1”, flick the rifle to vertical position using the right hand with the left hand seizing the hand guard with a full handgrip. The left arm is at right angles while the right hand is touching the small part of the rifle’s butt with a V-handgrip.
At the second timing of “1”, by pivoting on the elbow, use the right hand to lift the rifle to the vertical center of the body with the thickest part of the handguard at mouth level. Then, strike the thickest part of the hand guard using the left arm in one solid motion.
At the timing “check”, do a scissors action of bringing the rifle down and lifting the right knee forward. The right hand is in a V-grip position while the left hand will change to a good-hand sign grip.
At the last timing of “1”, without moving the rifle, drive the right foot to strike the ground with the right instep by the heel of the left foot.

Common faults:

Pushing the rifle upwards before starting downwards.
Left hand too high on the stock.
Weight of the body going on the right foot.
Increasing the angle between the feet, thereby dragging the shoulders backwards.
Rifle too close to the body.

Timing:

1 – CHECK – 1 – CHECK – 1

Hormat Senjata (side view)

Hormat Senjata (front view)

2. RUSOK SENJA – TA (Shoulder Arms) [From the Present Arms]

Drill movement:

At the timing “1”, in one motion, bring the rifle to the right side with the left arm at right angles, left hand at full handgrip and right hand striking and seizing the pistol grip. The rifle will be vertical with the foresight assembly touching the body.
At the second timing of “1”, cut the right arm and left arm simultaneously with both thumbs by the seam line. Next the right leg will be raised to right angles with the toes pointing downwards. Then, drive the right foot to strike the ground just beside the left foot to assume the position of basic attention.
The rifle should naturally tilt forward with the foresight touching the right shoulder.

Common faults:

Moving the right shoulder back.

Timing:

1 – CHECK – 1

3. TURUN SENJA – TA (Order Arms) [From the Present Arms]

Drill movement:

At the timing of “1”, without moving the rifle, the right arm will be retracted with the right hand forming a V-sign before seizing the rifle just below the foresight.
The rifle will be brought closer to the body when the right hand seizes the rifle with a full handgrip and the left hand changed also to a full handgrip.
Simultaneously, lift up the right knee and drive the right heel to strike the ground just beside the left heel, returning to normal attention position.
At the second timing of “1”, bring the toe of the rifle’s butt down next to the toecap of the right boot using the left hand. The right hand then V-grips the muzzle.
At the last timing of “1”, cut both hands to the side with the thumbs by the seam lines. Pivot the rifle backwards to the heel of the butt with the magazine facing square to the front.

Common faults:

Not gripping the rifle with the right hand.
Moving the right shoulder backwards.
Not controlling the rifle with the right hand.

Timing:

1 – CHECK – 1 – CHECK – 1

Pledge Taking

TA’AT SETI – A (Pledge taking)

Drill movement:

At the timing of “1”, pivot the rifle on the toe of the butt to the left and at the same time, the left hand will seize the barrel with a full handgrip at the centre.
At the second timing of “1”, bring the right arm with a clenched fist with thumb behind fingers to the left side of the chest, via the shortest route.

Timing:

1 – CHECK – 1

Ta'at Setia (front view)

Attention from Pledge Taking

SEDI – A (Stand at attention)

Drill movement:

At the timing of “1”, bring the right arm down and at the same time pivot the rifle on the toe of the butt with the right hand gripping the rifle’s muzzle with a V-handgrip.
At the last timing of “1”, pull back the rifle to vertical position using the right hand and cut down the left hand to return to the position of attention via the shortest route.

Timing:

1 – CHECK – 1

Dressing

KE – KANAN LU – RUS (Right dressing)

Drill movement:

There are 3 components in this drill – the right marker, right marker column and first rank.
The execution will be similar to that of basic foot drill except that the left arm will be raised instead.
At the command, the right marker column will raise their left arms forward and the first rank will raise their left arms to the left.
Everyone, except the right marker column, will turn their heads 45 degrees to the right.
Then, everyone will do a bang with their left leg.
If there is insufficient space, right marker column and first rank will raise their arms to the left and back of the shoulder respectively.
Then, everyone will shuffle their feet to take dressing. The right marker column will take dressing of 1 arm 6 inches from the person in front forward in line with the back of the hand facing right. Knuckles of closed hand should be 6-inches from the shoulder of the man in front.
The first rank will take dressing of 1 arm length by lifting their left arm to the side with the fist clenched. Knuckles should touch the right arm of the man to their left, keeping the back of hand facing upwards.
If the person on your left is taller than you, you should raise your left arm to your own shoulder level.
If the person on your left is shorter than you, you should raise your left arm to that person’s shoulder level.
Correct dressing by shuffling the feet, whilst body remain upright, until you can see the chin of the alternate person on your right by glancing out of the corner of your eye.
When everyone has taken their dressing accordingly, the shuffling will stop.
The right marker will not do any arm or head movement.
You should be shuffling your feet even if you are in the correct position.
Centre and rear ranks ensure they are in straight rows by aligning themselves to the person in front of them and at the right of them.

Common faults:

Sluggish movement.
Not looking up or square to the right.
Shoulder inclined to the back.
Craning forearm.
Bending of the wrists.
Not keeping the shoulders square to the front.
Unnecessary movement and Shuffling.
Looking downwards.

Timing:

UP – CHECK – BANG

PANDANG KE – HADAPAN – PAN – DANG (Eyes front)

Drill movement:

Turn head sharply to the front.
At the same, return to the attention position by returning the left hand back to the sides of the body, keeping the arms straight.

Common faults:

Sluggish movement of head and arms.

Timing:

Marching with the Rifle

CEPAT JA – LAN (Quick march)

Drill movement:

Marching with rifle at the shoulder.

Common faults:

There is a tendency to support the pistol grip with only fingertips.
As a result the rifle is allowed to move away from the body.

Timing:

LEFT - LEFT - LEFT – RIGHT – LEFT ... ... ...

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